Sherwood Anderson's I Want to Know Why
Anderson’s Young Protagonist Learns Life Lesson About Betrayal
Jan 10, 2009
In “I Want to Know Why,” the narrator tells his story of his obsession with horse racing. He finds beauty in everything about this field, from the way the horses’ appearances, the smell of the stables and the people who tend the animals. Not close to his father, he constantly runs away from home and positions Jerry Tilford, a horse handler, as a father figure.
The young protagonist idolizes this man and thinks that he is one with the horses. He thinks that Jerry has the same feelings as he has about these majestic animals. Because he has placed Jerry on a pedestal, he is not prepared for Jerry’s betrayal of his belief in trust and beauty.
In the beginning of “I Want to Know Why,” the narrator and four of his friends do whatever they can to go to horse races. He is so enamored that he compares the races to life itself. He says “horse racing is in every breath of air you breathe” (2). Comparing horse racing to air illustrates the importance of horse racing to this young man. Nevertheless, his love of racing goes beyond the atmosphere of the activity.
Anderson’s protagonist finds beauty in the horses themselves, even before they hit the race track. When he watches them race, he has an emotional attachment to the animals. For him, watching them race “brings a lump up into [his] throat when a horse runs” (4). This overwhelming emotion demonstrates how close he feels for the animals he helps care for in the stables. This feeling of attachment transfers to those who care for the horses, particularly Jerry Tilford.
The protagonist thinks that Jerry Tilford is one with the horses and likes this man more than his own father. The narrator “almost forgot the horses thinking that way about him,” and he thinks Jerry cares for the horses “like a mother seeing her child do something brave and wonderful” (7). The young protagonist thinks Jerry has the same deep emotions as he does, not that this is just a job for the man. However, he learns that sometimes the people we look up to can betray us.
At the end of “I Want to Know Why,” the young protagonist learns that, outside of the stables, Jerry Tilford is a different person. One night, he accompanies Jerry on a night on the town, and they end up at a whorehouse. There, Jerry brags about his ability to make a race horse in order to impress a woman. The young man is upset and “began hating that man” (8). The protagonist changes so dramatically that he does not even use Jerry’s name when referring to him. Calling him “that man” illustrates his disappointment and a betrayal of his trust and beliefs.
“I Want to Know Why” illustrates the difficulty of idolizing someone. The protagonist learns a useful lesson, however. He learns that humans, even ones we look up to, can betray us from time to time. It is a harsh lesson, but it will prepare him for future disappointments.
Source:
Anderson, Sherwood. "I Want to Know Why." The Norton Anthology of Short Ficton. 4th edition. New York: W. W. Norton, 1990.
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